Looking for Alaskans (Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Alamogordo: real estate, new home, buying)

[ak to nm]

Hello,

We have recently sold our house in Palmer, AK and will be moving to Las Cruces. We know that there are lots of former Alaskans residing in New Mexico, just wondering where you are, how you like it, and if you think that New Mexico is better living then AK? Opinions from long time Alaskans, people that have spent more then two years in our state would be great.

I have a feeling it will be somewhat like Alaska, I know that it will be warmer!

[jecc]

Former Alaskan here. Came from Eagle River. Was there 7+ years. Loved it. Miss it at times. But NM is great too. Been here 3.5 years. I'm in the rural Sacto Mtns. Much more laid back than the Mat-Su. That valley up there has gone crazy. Never been to Cruces, so I can't compare the two.

Overall, I'd say NM is wilder, more adventurous, more rugged, less predictable than AK. It's more of a frontier than the so-called Last Frontier. Granted, I'm comparing rural NM to urban AK. Apples and oranges, I know.

AK is gorgeous, but the southcentral region got too big and modern for my taste. The living here is cheaper and easier, even if more primitive (unplowed roads, no home mail delivery, etc). But I retired very young by cashing out in AK and buying a place free and clear here. No more mortgage. Very different lifestyle. So again, I'm comparing apples and oranges to some degree.

I love the NM energy too. Very spiritual and ancient. AK has this too, but you'd have a hard time feeling it in Palmer or Anchorage.

Also, NM is unofficially known as The Land of Manana -- the land of tomorrow. This is not a visionary salute. It's a tribute to procrastination. In other words, everything can wait till tomorrow. No hurry, no worry, just relax. I owned a suit, several ties, and other nice clothes in AK. Not here. Jeans, T-shirts, sweats, boots. That's it. That's NM for me. While AK goes "north to the future," NM is in no hurry to get anywhere. Except maybe those guys building the space port. The mushers, gold miners, and wild nature boys are a small minority in AK. This here really is still the Old Wild West -- cowboys and all.

The lightning here alone is more fearsome than any Kodiak grizzly or 40-below cold snap. At least that's how it is here in the mountains. Again, not sure about Cruces. I imagine it's very different there.

Just my observations. Ask 100 more New Mexicans from Alaska and you'll get 100 more angles. Good luck.

[Scottl]

Good for you getting your house sold in Palmer and getting outt'a there.
I hope for the same fate this summer for me. I'm moving to NM blind about 60 miles north east of Cruces. Never been there but I have lived over the years in CA,NV,AZ. What I do know is I can actually afford to live there and enjoy life on my retirement. I think why there's so many Alaskans in NM is because it is what alaska use to be in the more rual areas of south central. Wild,layed back,neighbors that still wave when they drive by each other and will actually help each other without wanting something in return. Plus it dosen't hurt no more shoveling snow and where I live 40 below cold snaps. We just had 2 weeks of 25 to 40 below zero for night time temps. Palmer and Wasilla also was cold just not Willow cold. If you've never lived north of Houston you don't know cold.

I live about 45 or so miles north of Palmer(30 mi. Wasilla). But developement is moving our way with the growth in the Mat Valley. Were sled dog capital of the world and the new home of the re-start for the Iditarod where it belonged all along. I'm a dog musher and have been for 15 yrs. Not all those years in Alaska(Oregon) only close to the last 10. Dog food(jumped $4 a bag this year now $38 a 40lb bag)which I drive to Palmer to get and the cost to heat(still $3.30 a gal. heating oil no nat.gas out here)and gas prices still above $3 a gal. and everything else. But outsiders are moving here that don't understand anything about mushers or alaska's way of the land such as winter break up and so on are having an impact on alsakan lifestyles. Had a couple(nice folks don't get me wrong. At least there not the typical welfare bunch. They do work) from Montana move behind me where I take my dog team out and had the road(more of a trail)plowed down to the ice. I was draged pretty bad and wanted to kill the guy or should I say pound him threw the ground to china. He'll learn by doing that he screwed himself bad. He won't be able to drive on the road for a long time when break up comes. A lesson I'm willing to let him learn by keeping my mouth shut. The roads not year round access. Plus they have no electricity,well and have 3 kids back there. Poor kids. Oh well.

I bought 3 oranages yesterday at Carrs(Wasilla)for $3.11 on sale. I went to eat one last night. It was so bad I threw it away. Last month I went to buy tomatoes. Vine ripe $5.99 lb. at Carrs. All the others ones that were less were still green.

Let me tell you I can't get outt'a here fast enough. I'm selling my kennel,house so I have my work cut out for me. But first I run the Fur Rondy dog races in Anchorage starting next Friday then all my time after that will be spent selling to escape Alaska.
The good thing was in the fall I called my real estate guy and told him I wanted to sell. Meaning this year after the season was over. He had people lined up to look at the house before he was going to even listed it. He miss understood that I meant after this winter. Houses going for over $200,000 have slowed way in sales. I'm under $140,000 with 2 acres and luckily houses like mine are moving. Had a guy here from Scotland looking at it. Fingers crossed he'll buy it because he's talking cash money.

Can't wait to join other alaskans in NM. I'll blend right in.

[chilegal]

Originally Posted by Scottl

Good for you getting your house sold in Palmer and getting outt'a there.
I hope for the same fate this summer for me. I'm moving to NM blind about 60 miles north east of Cruces. Never been there but I have lived over the years in CA,NV,AZ. What I do know is I can actually afford to live there and enjoy life on my retirement. I think why there's so many Alaskans in NM is because it is what alaska use to be in the more rual areas of south central. Wild,layed back,neighbors that still wave when they drive by each other and will actually help each other without wanting something in return. Plus it dosen't hurt no more shoveling snow and where I live 40 below cold snaps. We just had 2 weeks of 25 to 40 below zero for night time temps. Palmer and Wasilla also was cold just not Willow cold. If you've never lived north of Houston you don't know cold.

I live about 45 or so miles north of Palmer(30 mi. Wasilla). But developement is moving our way with the growth in the Mat Valley. Were sled dog capital of the world and the new home of the re-start for the Iditarod where it belonged all along. I'm a dog musher and have been for 15 yrs. Not all those years in Alaska(Oregon) only close to the last 10. Dog food(jumped $4 a bag this year now $38 a 40lb bag)which I drive to Palmer to get and the cost to heat(still $3.30 a gal. heating oil no nat.gas out here)and gas prices still above $3 a gal. and everything else. But outsiders are moving here that don't understand anything about mushers or alaska's way of the land such as winter break up and so on are having an impact on alsakan lifestyles. Had a couple(nice folks don't get me wrong. At least there not the typical welfare bunch. They do work) from Montana move behind me where I take my dog team out and had the road(more of a trail)plowed down to the ice. I was draged pretty bad and wanted to kill the guy or should I say pound him threw the ground to china. He'll learn by doing that he screwed himself bad. He won't be able to drive on the road for a long time when break up comes. A lesson I'm willing to let him learn by keeping my mouth shut. The roads not year round access. Plus they have no electricity,well and have 3 kids back there. Poor kids. Oh well.

I bought 3 oranages yesterday at Carrs(Wasilla)for $3.11 on sale. I went to eat one last night. It was so bad I threw it away. Last month I went to buy tomatoes. Vine ripe $5.99 lb. at Carrs. All the others ones that were less were still green.

Let me tell you I can't get outt'a here fast enough. I'm selling my kennel,house so I have my work cut out for me. But first I run the Fur Rondy dog races in Anchorage starting next Friday then all my time after that will be spent selling to escape Alaska.
The good thing was in the fall I called my real estate guy and told him I wanted to sell. Meaning this year after the season was over. He had people lined up to look at the house before he was going to even listed it. He miss understood that I meant after this winter. Houses going for over $200,000 have slowed way in sales. I'm under $140,000 with 2 acres and luckily houses like mine are moving. Had a guy here from Scotland looking at it. Fingers crossed he'll buy it because he's talking cash money.

Can't wait to join other alaskans in NM. I'll blend right in.

Good luck on the race, be sure to let us know how it turned out for you.
My neighbor here in Alamogordo is from Alaska. He worked up on the slope, and loves it down here. Don't think he gets on here. Also tow quiltiers with big names moved south one to Santa Fe and the other went to Texas, but almost ended up here in Alamo.

[Scottl]

The guy who told me about Alamo here in Alaska is from there. His parents have a ranch somewhere around there. He's a slope worker also and is how he ended up moving to Alaska. He wants to move back to Alamo but his wife is dragging her feet. She's from Az. Even though she said she liked it better this summer because it was greener and not all brown.

I also have another friend who has a place in Tularosa and a ranch 75 miles from there. He's a famous writter. He lives down the road from me here and is a musher from the mid 80's in the Iditarod that got back into the sport a few years back.

I ended up not running the big race. I didn't have enough dogs. However,I'm heading to a 2 day race today and tomarrow.

Gas prices here just went to $3.22 a gallon. What are they there?

I re-read my first post. What a whinner huh. I lived in alaska in mid 70's before leaving in the Army during the Iran hostage crisis. I was last here in 1981 on leave and then didn't return untill 1998. This is not the alaska I lived in as a teenager. Thats a big reason why I choose NM is because I don't know what growth usally in a bad way has happened to the area/state. The political corruption on local levels are out of hand everywhere. Just some places are worse then others. Like here its bad.

[TigerLily24]

Highest gas price I've seen in Las Cruces is $3.19, lowest, last weekend anyway, was $2.99. A gallon of milk is even more!

[Michelle1210]

I wonder what the summer prices will be for Gas? when everyone is traveling.

[InTheDesert]

Hey, AK here, and I even went to HS in Palmer/Wasilla, use to work at the Vagabond Cafe (good times).... I haven't read all the responses but I LOVE AK just as much as I LOVE NM. The WARM weather here has really grown on me and now after being here for going on 7 years, I am just as wussy as the NM's when it comes to the cold. There are definitely some MAJOR differences here but the people are like minded to Alaskans IMO. The things I miss: FRESH fish all I could ever want, my LUSH backyard, picking loads of berries in the wild, the rivers, the otters, the snow (sometimes).... but I have replaced the fish with the green chile, my yard with a cactus garden, and I still see a TON of wildlife here.

The strangest experience I've ever had in NM: pulling up to a stop light, glancing over at the car next to me, only to see a coworker from Alaska that I worked with many years ago.... yep, Alaskans are in NM.

[InTheDesert]

Oh, and you're definitely going to miss the Alaskan weed :P